" Up in a Big Balloon is the second record in the Musical Mystery Tour, a series of lighthearted records aimed (not solely) at Children from folk duo Simon Mayor and Hilary James. It's guaranteed to have children singing, rather than screaming, all the way to the car's destination, leaving the adults free to... well... sing along as well.

Catchy is the operative term here. Quick one-liners, simple structures and lyrics, tenuous rhymes to die for; you can't but fall in love with James and Mayor's offering on the first listening. Naturally, the main genre is folk, mandolins, couble basses guitars are the running musical theme. However, everything is covered (in both senses of the word), from classical to country and western.

The songs are interspersed by merry banter between the couple, who assume various roles connected with the following song. While their acting roles are not quite up to their musical expertise, a child is barely likely to notice, and the jokes are there; it's by no means dull.
A few highlights:

I love all the Fruit - A calypso style number opens the LP, it is about eating in the jungle. I suppose the titles are pretty self-explanatory. Tarzan gets a mention. Sound effects sure to make the children laugh.

Hum Hum Hum - A song about a hummingbird, who is glum for the reason that he "...knows the tune but not the words". No prizes for guessing what that line was rhymed off with.
Slippery Slimy Trout - A neat, clever, parody of Schubert's trout quintet about, well, a trout. Such was the impact of this song as a child, that I truly believed for many years, as a child (just to clarify) , that this version was written first.

Old Dan Tucker's Song - A country song about a wife whose husband is never home and is out playing the mandolin. A showcase of Mayor's mandolin skills, which are as highly rated as anyone else's in the country. Preceded by the funniest pre-able on the record, James' screeching "ooooolll Daaaan Tucker!" has stuck in our family as a bit of an in-joke for years.

And this is the beauty of the album - it can be enjoyed by adults and children - and not in the usual jokes for the adult, jokes for the children way - the same quips, musical clichés and playing are appreciated by both parties alike. As an eighteen year-old who has just rediscovered the discs dug out for the first time since aged nine, I can honestly say that yes, no jokes are new, but they're just as funny. But what's impressed me is that they're funny in a non-nostalgic way; yes, it's nice to think of what fun I had as a child listening to this, but, call me sad if you wish, I can see myself listening to this with no child in sight."

Hilary James & Simon Mayor
c/o Acoustics Records
PO Box 350, Reading RG6 7DQ, England
+44 (0)118 926 8615
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